


I am here to help you

by teaspoonbooks27



Series: Overheard [2]
Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Big Brother Gilan, Uncle Crowley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:54:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29781270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaspoonbooks27/pseuds/teaspoonbooks27
Summary: Crowley talks with Will and Gilan about what they overheard Donovan saying.
Relationships: Gilan & Crowley Meratyn, Gilan & Will Treaty
Series: Overheard [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2188929
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	I am here to help you

**Author's Note:**

> This story does contain false, non graphic implications regarding child abuse.

“Crowley needs to know what?” 

Both rangers turn to see the man in question standing by their table. Will turned his attention back to Gilan. 

Gilan nods, “Go ahead Will. Tell him. It’s just us.” 

Crowley sat across the table from Will, next to Gilan, “Anything you tell me will be kept confidential. You don’t need to worry about anything Will. I’m here to help you.” 

Will lowered his head, hands interlocking behind his neck and his elbows resting on the table in front of him. He let out a deep breath and related the conversation he overheard that morning to Crowley. Occasionally Gilan cut in to add a detail that Will missed. He did however, leave out one point, hoping that Gilan would have the courtesy to let that portion of the conversation stay between them. It turned out that Gilan wouldn’t have the chance to say anything.

“What else did they say? I know that you’re not telling me something.” Crowley said, his voice low and deliberate.

Will closed his eyes and sighed. Of course Crowley could tell he was withholding part of the story. He wasn’t Ranger Commandant for nothing. 

“They also made some... unflattering implications about Halt. Gilan cut them off before they could go too far. “

“What kind of implications?” Crowley pressed. 

Will looked away from Crowley and his throat tightened as he recalled what Donavan had said. He glanced to Gilan with a slightly panicked look in his eyes. Gilan got Will’s message loud and clear. 

“Donovan implied that Halt was grooming Will for, um, inappropriate reasons. He said that Halt had purposely chosen an apprentice without someone looking out for him.” The words came out in a rush. Gilan’s palms were sweaty and his stomach rolled as he thought about how foul what Donovan had said was. As a Ranger, Gilan had seen his fair share of awful things, he knew that there were plenty of terrible people out there who hurt others. But the thought of the type of person who would inflict that kind of trauma onto someone, especially a child, was at the top of the list as far as Gilan was concerned. 

Crowley’s face, which had been a stony mask through out the entire conversation, dropped, anger clear in his clenched jaw and a fire lit behind his eyes. The young rangers waited for Crowley to say something, their anxiety growing with each heartbeat. 

“Gilan,” Crowley ground out, “I need you to be completely specific with what Donovan had said.” 

Gilan thought back to the moment before he had confronted Donovan. He had caught a bit more of what Donovan had said than Will had. Gilan was glad that Will hadn’t heard Donovan finish his sentence, and he wasn’t leaping at the opportunity to share the rest with Will. But he knew that Crowley need to know the full scope of what happened. 

“His exact words were “If I didn’t know better I’d say there is a reason that Treaty is getting special treatment” then Ben asked him what he meant by that, and Donovan said “Halt and Treaty are very close. Closer than any of us have ever been with our apprentices. Maybe Halt found a skinny orphan that nobody cared about and groomed him into his personal toy. He never married, and every man needs an outlet. Maybe Treaty was his-” and then I interrupted him.” Gilan was practically whispering by the time he finished. 

Will’s face was pale, his eyes flooded with unshed tears. “I didn’t realized that he had said that. I guess I was too busy trying to not throw up to hear him finish.” Will’s voice was thick and cracking. Gilan stood up and sat next to Will. He wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulder and noticed that he was shaking. 

“Will. I cannot express how incredibly sorry I am that these men spoke about you like this. It is disgusting and an insult to the entire Rangers Corps. You are one of the best Rangers the corps have ever seen. Everything you have accomplished and every word of praise you have received are based solely on your hard work, and are much deserved. Will I need to know that you understand what I am saying to you.”

Will was no longer able to keep the tears back any longer and he wiped discretely at his eyes and checks. “I understand Crowley.” 

“We need to discuss what is going to happened to Donovan, Lee, Hawthorn, and Ben.” 

Will’s head shot up, no longer focused on drying his face. “Ben didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Will,” Crowley said gently, “he may not have said anything bad, but he also didn’t say anything to stop it. That kind of speech and behavior cannot be tolerated. Ben should have spoken up when things started going south. Obviously he will not be punished as severely as the others, but I will need to reprimand him.”  
Will said nothing. He understood what Crowley was saying, but he didn’t want Ben to suffer for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

“Personally I think they best thing to do is let Halt hand the situation. Heaven knows that he will make sure they get what they deserve.” Crowley said. 

Will shook his head, a panicked look on his face. “No! Halt can never know.” 

Gilan saw the question Crowley was about to ask and said, “Will doesn’t want Halt to find out what happened. He doesn’t want anyone to know.” 

“Will, Halt won’t be upset with you. And no one will believe what Donovan said.” Crowley told him. 

“Lee and Hawthorn seemed too. Maybe even Ben. If Halt found out it would only be a matter of time before it got out to the rest of the corps.”

“Halt knows how to keep his mouth shut. It’s actually getting him to open up that’s the real trouble.” Gilan reminded him.

“I’m not worried about him saying something, I’m worried about him doing something. There’s no way that Halt could know what they said about him and not retaliate.” 

“You make a fair point. But Halt wouldn’t be reacting over what they said about him. He’d doing something because of what they said about you. And I am certain that he would make sure to... encourage them to keep their vile opinions to themselves.” Crowley said. 

“I still don’t think they need to know.” Will grumbled. 

“Why don’t we all sleep on it? Halt was going to try to make it here by tomorrow afternoon. After a good nights rest we all will be able to think more clearly about this matter.” Crowley dismissed Will and Gilan, wishing them a goodnight as they left. 

Yes, everything will be clear in the morning, Crowley thought to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Come say hi on Tumblr @ forgedroyalseal


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